Spend the day preparing and eating an Indonesian meal. Morning shopping tour in the International District then a hands-on cooking experience with Chef Naomi and Guest Chef Julia past owner of one of Seattle's popular Indonesian restaurants.

I'm busy preparing for my first immersion cooking class happening tomorrow. Julia Suparman and I will be delving into the flavors and tastes of Indonesian and Malaysian cooking. Are you a last minute decider? There's still one spot left and you can join us to learn about this fascinating cuisine!

I don't know anyone who doesn't like fried rice. Which may be why versions of it can be found in most countries. Most everywhere you go though, fried rice is made when you want to use up leftovers. When students tell me they just can't master fried rice, it always turns out mushy or gloppy, the problem is invariably the use of fresh cooked rice. In the US we eat fried rice mostly as take out, so it's not always obvious that one needs to use day old, or older, rice to make the dish perfect. From now on, any time you have some leftover rice, pop it in the fridge or freezer, save until you've got a few cupfuls, and then make a delicious meal!

Now that you know the secret to fried rice, you can take it farther by trying out the types of ingredients typical with different Asian countries. Here are some common flavor profiles:

Mandarin Chinese - Use lap cheong sausage for its sweet flavor, plus garlic, ginger, scallions, and white pepper. Eggs are usually scrambled into and mixed throughout the rice.

Thai - The signature Thai fried rice, khao op sapparot, is served in a pineapple, topped with crab meat. Curry is the main flavor, with a sweet note from the addition of raisins. More everyday Thai fried rice combines the traditional flavors of lime, fish sauce, and chili. Similar to other Thai dishes there's always condiments to add, such as cilantro and cucumbers. Be sure to use jasmine rice!

Indonesian - Here fried rice (called nasi goreng) will of course have kecap manis, which is a thick, palm sugar-sweetened soy sauce, and is the typical soy sauce of Indonesia. Also common is using chili paste and topping the rice with a fried egg and fried shallots. Serve it for breakfast to have it the Indonesian way.

Oh, the 1980s! These were the years of TV and billboard ads for glorious junk food laden with enough preservatives to give them a probable shelf life of 900 years. Pringles, Twinkies, Hostess Cup Cakes, Jell-O, Spaghetti-Os, Kool Aid, Happy Meals. It would have been positively Un-American not to have eaten them..."Everybody" did and still does. In our growing up years, we want to be like "Everybody."

In 1975, Bich Minh Nguyen's father emigrated from Vietnam to Grand Rapids, MI with baby Bich and her older sister. Nguyen grew up eating both her Buddhist Grandmother's traditional foods and her fair share of TV advertised "American" food. Ngyuen's memoir charms and delights. Her good humor and lively prose carries us down Memory Lane to revisit the pop culture of the 1980s. Along the way, we gain insights into the struggles immigrant children face as they strive to fit in and become "American" while maintaining their cultural identity. Ngyuen's book is a tasty treat.

Need some help finding recipes for your favorite Asian dishes? New Asian Cuisine is a database of hundreds of recipes from many of my favorite cookbook authors, bloggers, and restaurants. I recently went there for inspiration for dealing with a head of farmers market cabbage so beautiful it deserved more than the usual gloppy coleslaw. The Crunchy Burmese Cabbage Salad I found was the perfect answer: light, crunchy, and with fresh summer flavor. I definitely recommend you check out this resource!

exciting variety of food, shopping, and entertainment and attracts thousands of people to the heart of Seattle's Chinatown to sample new foods, and explore what is unique and fun about the area.

The evening is filled with local vendors showcasing a unique mix of cultural arts and crafts and international cuisine offering something that will satisfy everyone's taste buds. In addition to food and shopping, the event features cultural performances including Chinese lion and dragon dances, live art demonstrations, as well as a free outdoor showing of new Karate Kid in Hing Hay Park.*Admission is free and open to the public.

Japan comes to the Bellevue College for a weekend! A two-day program of Japanese cultural and educational events for all ages!

The matsuri includes 2 full days of on-stage Performing Arts, Martial Art demonstrations by local dojo members, Puppet Shows based on Japanese Folk Tales, Tea Ceremony demonstrations, more than 80 exhibit booths, and Japanese food booths. There are workshops on bonsai, taiko, and Japanese Gardening Presentation. Browse through "Nomi-no-ichi ... a Japanese style flea market" to make a lucky find! Meet with Aki Matsuri Mascot and friends!

The 20th Annual Koi Show by the Washington Koi & Water Garden Society will be held at Bellevue College during Aki Matsuri Weekend.